All applications will be forwarded to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.
Processing fee
A case processing fee must be paid for all applications, whatever the outcome. The fee must be paid when you submit your application. The visa section advices applicants to register their application in our application portal.
Processing time
Guidelines to the applicant regarding the document list
You must be sure that your application is properly filled in before it is sent to the UDI in Norway for processing.
List of documents that you must submit
When you apply for family immigration you and the staff at a Foreign Service mission / the police must fill in a separate list of which documents that you have to send to the UDI with your applications. It is very important that you fill all relevant sections and sign the list. You have to this even if you have applied online with Application Portal.
Link to lists of document: http://www.udi.no/Norwegian-Directorate-of-Immigration/Central-topics/Family-immigration/Check-lists/
If you do not submit all relevant documents within a week, you may get a rejection
You should submit all relevant documents within a week after you have applied. After a week the Foreign Service mission / police will send over the case to the UDI and you may get a rejection if you have not submitted all relevant documentation.
If you do not have the required documentation, you must write a statement
If it is not possible to provide the required documentations you or your sponsor must enclose a statement that explains why these documents are not available. Your application may be rejected on the basis of incomplete information or documentation.
Original documents and translation
You must show original documents when you apply
You must show your passport and all documents in their original form at the Foreign Service Mission or the police
Bring your own certified and translated copies
When the police or Foreign Service mission sends your application to the UDI, you only have to submit copies of the original documents. Bring your own copies when you submit theapplication. The copies must either be certified by a public authority, or others who have expertise as a public authority.
Documents in other languages than Norwegian, English, French, German and Spanish must be translated by an authorized translator to Norwegian or English, and it must be clearly stated who has performed the translation and when.
Persons from countries with documents that need an Apostille stamp
Documents from countries that have ratified the Hague Convention, including Norway (see list under) must have an apostille stamp before you can submit the documents to us. Apostille means that, the original document is issued by competent authorities from a signatory state of the Hague Convention
List : http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=states.listing
Persons from countries with documents that need a legalisation (China)
Documents from countries that are not members of the Hague Convention must be legalised by the foreign authority of the country where the document has been issued.
Legalisation means that the foreign authority in the issuing country by endorsement, has confirmed that the document is signed / issued by the competent authority.
If you are planning to apply for a residence permit, you need to make sure that some of the required documents have been legalised. The documents that currently are required to be legalised are birth certificate and marriage certificate.
The documents must first be notarized at a Notarius Publicus office, then legalised at the Consular Section at Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs or at the relevant Foreign Affairs Office. Please be informed that in order for documents to valid in Norway they also need to be legalised at a Norwegian Embassy or Consulate General, however this is not necessary if you are only applying for a residence permit.
For more information about Notarius Publicus offices in China please follow this link (Chinese only).
For more information about legalisation and useful addresses please follow this link (Norwegian only).
Photo and receipt
You must also present:
- 2 recent passport photos, and
- the receipt that you have paid the fee (this concerns all applicants over the age of 18)
Interview of the applicant
There is also a questionnaire that shall be filled in, regarding the applicants relationship with the sponsor. In some cases the Foreign Service mission/ the police will conduct an interview with the applicant/ sponsor.